Radio 5 Live’s John Pienaar grilled the politician over his party’s ambitions to preserve access to the benefits of the single market and the customs union after Brexit.

The broadcaster repeatedly asked if any such deal would involve the UK making “indefinite payments of the kind we see now into the EU”.

He said: “If we were to stay effectively inside the single market with tariff-free access whether it’s a financial tariff, whether it’s non-tariff barriers, none of that to worry about which you would argue does benefit British business.

“Would that be an indefinite arrangement and would it involve therefore indefinite payments of the kind we see now into the EU even though we’re not members?”

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Barry Gardiner and John Pienaar clashed in the heated exchange over Brexit

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Would indefinite continuing payments into the European Union on the level that we see just at the moment be a price worth paying?

John Pienaar

But Mr Gardiner proposed a deal similar to Canada’s CETA [Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement] with the EU.

He said: “Let’s be clear there are many ways of negotiating these benefits and they have been put forward at various times, whether you stay in the EEA, whether you stay in the customs union, negotiate a free trade agreement like Canada has with the EU.”

The Jeremy Corbyn ally said there were “many ways” of reaping the benefits of the EU without having to pay in.

He added: “The thing is to make sure, one – we’re out of the European Union, that’s the given… then we say let’s make sure that we secure the current benefits that we have so that we put jobs and the economy first.”

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But Pienaar probed further and asked the question on continuing payments to Brussels as the exchange became increasingly heated.

He asked: “Would indefinite continuing payments into the European Union on the level that we see just at the moment be a price worth paying for that kind of barrier-free access to the market? It’s clearly just a yes or no really.”

Mr Gardiner pushed for a Canada-style deal “where it’s not necessary” to pay for barrier-free trade once more.

He added: “You’ve got to see what the other side is prepared to give before you can arrive at a final position, our objectives are clear.”